


That's The Way Love Goes

by livxxmarie



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: First Dance, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, School Dances, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 13:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7464261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livxxmarie/pseuds/livxxmarie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett and Link ditch the school dance after their dates ditch them. Once at Cape Fear, Link reveals he never learned how to slow dance. Rhett decides to teach him how.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's The Way Love Goes

“I can’t believe they ditched us. What the hell?”

Rhett could hear the annoyance in Link’s voice and recognized it as a clear sign that he was going to lose his temper soon. On instinct, he rolled his eyes and patted him lightly on the back.

“It’s better to go with friends anyways,” Rhett lied. He knew they would be laughed at and he knew that Link would laugh with them and seemingly shake it off, but that it would stick with the boy for the next two months.

“Man, we should just ditch the whole dance.”

Rhett’s heart sped up at the thought of them just going somewhere to hang out while everyone danced at the sophomore dance, both of them joking and having fun like old times. Since they entered the spring of their sophomore year, the two had hung out with larger crowds instead of just them due to all of the friends they had made.

“Let’s do it.” Rhett smiled excited at Link, his dark brows raised comically. Link’s expression transformed to one of matching exhilaration.

“What are we gonna do while everyone’s there? Should we invite the guys or something?”

“Nah, man. They’ve all got dates. Just the two of us is better anyways. We could go to Cape Fear?”

“Yeah, it’s probably warmed up enough by now that we can swim in it without freezing our butts off.”

Rhett pulled into a driveway and turned around, the Omega protesting beneath his feet. The car was on the verge of a breakdown, but Rhett didn’t care. The freedom he felt while driving something of his own was unmatched to any feeling of responsibility that he’d had before. They drove in comfortable silence, listening to the radio.

When they got out of the car, the sun still at least an hour away from setting, they immediately jumped in the water and swam until they reached their usual spot, sprawling out to bask in the sunlight before it was gone for the rest of the evening.

“You wanna know somethin’?” Link asked, smiling lazily. He peered up at Rhett, long eyelashes still glistening from the water. Rhett shrugged and smiled back.

“I didn’t even wanna go to that dumb dance in the first place.”

“Why not?”

“You’re gonna laugh at me.” Link’s smile was still plastered on his face, but a slight blush had sprouted on his cheeks.

“I won’t.”

“You will.”

“Probably, but you gotta tell me now.” Rhett smiled and let out a laugh and Link followed along before sitting up completely.

“I can’t dance.”

“I knew that already,” Rhett replied, receiving a light shove to the arm. He laughed and Link rolled his eyes at him.

“I mean,” Link continued, ignoring Rhett’s mocking. “I can’t slow dance. Never have before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, man. I don’t know. Do you?”

“Well, only ‘cause I danced with Amber when she took me to her cousin’s wedding.”

“Huh.”

Rhett looked at him for a moment, the sun now almost completely set.

“You wanna learn?”

“Like you’d teach me?” Link asked, incredulous. He raised both eyebrows and a smirk grew on his face. He suddenly placed his hand on his heart dramatically and batted his lashes at the sky. “Rhett McLaughlin wants to _dance_ with me? Hold me, I’m fainting.”

“Shut up, man. I was bein’ serious. Now I’m not gonna teach you. Lost your chance.”

“Oh, I’m just playin’ you big baby.”

“Whatever,” Rhett replied, smiling slightly as he pretended to be hurt. Link laughed at his face and nudged him.

“Seriously, man. Teach me.”

Rhett sighed exasperatedly and stood up, taking Link’s hand to pull him up. It was awkward as they tried to adjust their hands to where they were supposed to go.

“You have to teach me how to _lead_ , man,” Link laughed, throwing his head back. Rhett laughed in response and shook his head apologetically.

“Uh, so, you gotta put your hands on my waist then. And then I’ll put mine around your, uh, your like neck.”

“Okay, like this?”

“Yeah, yeah that’s good.”

“Now what?”

“Now we just… dance.”

They moved a few steps, both feeling terribly awkward, and Rhett tried to imagine what the guys would say if they saw them doing this.

“Man, we need music or somethin’.”

“I’d put some on the Omega but I don’t want to drain the battery.” Rhett shrugged apologetically as they swayed to the sound of cicadas.

“Sing somethin’,” Link commanded. Rhett rolled his eyes.

“So bossy. Why do I gotta sing somethin’? You’re the one who needs music.”

“You got a nice voice. I can sing with you, if you’re too chicken.”

“Alright. What song?” Rhett wondered when he noticed how blue Link’s eyes were and why he felt so nervous.

“I got it. _That’s The Way Love Goes_ by Merle Haggard.” Link nodded to himself, as if he was agreeing with his decision and patting himself on the back. Rhett made a face.

“It’s so sappy, man.”

“Are you insulting Merle?”

“Oh, shut up, you know what I mean.”

“Just sing, man.”

Their voices were quiet as they sang together, harmonizing easily. Rhett swallowed loudly as he noticed how close their faces were. It would’ve been so easy just to lean down and kiss him. When had he started wanting to do that?

Although the thought scared him, it seemed like Link wanted the same thing, his blue eyes softened and a permanent blush staining his cheeks as they held eye contact.

“Can I say somethin’ crazy?” Link asked, the crimson in his face growing darker. Rhett nodded. “I think I like you.”

Rhett tried to repress his smile and bit his lip nervously. He chuckled before speaking, his voice soft. “Can I say somethin’ crazier?”

“Absolutely.”

“I think I should be the one leading. You’re so short.”

Link rolled his eyes and smiled, his mouth open as he let out an exaggerated sigh. He took on the girly tone of voice he had mocked Rhett with earlier.

“Men! Ya can’t live with ‘em-“

“Ya can’t live without ‘em,” Rhett finished, smiling. He leaned down a little and kissed Link very lightly on the cheek. The shorter of the two blushed so hard he nearly turned purple, but took on a cocky smile again.

“That’s all I get? A kiss on the cheek? I’m not _Nana_ , man.”

“Will you shut up already?”

**Author's Note:**

> I smiled the entire time I wrote this. Literally. My face hurts.


End file.
